Blog Holiday through July 4
Hi Everyone — Next week is going to be a very intense work week and my parents are visiting over the 4th of July… so I’m trying to impose a “blog holiday” through July 4th. No pressure on Jamie or…
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Time Saving Software I Can Believe
For once, I’m not being cynical about software. Since a laptop crash, I’ve tried to prevent that from happening again. When you’re in consulting work, the files on your computer are worth much more than the hardware itself. I hope…
Are you a "Lean Purist"?
5 Ways ERP Can Help You Implement Lean by Epicor Software Corporation Ok, that’s a trick question. I hate labels like that. I don’t want to put them on me or anyone. I hope nobody thinks they are a “purist”…
What’s the Root Cause of This One?
I don’t think I’m smart enough to figure out the root cause of this healthcare dysfunction. I went to the dentist this morning and the office manager said “Aetna still hasn’t paid for your last visit”. This was five months…
Root Causing the Offshoring of Jobs
I had an “ah-ha!” moment last night. I was reading a book during the NBA Finals (no point really watching closely until the last three minutes) and it struck me: Very often, I beat up on companies and CEO’s for…
The Need for Lean Healthcare
Drug in Fatal Medical Error A Known Hazard in Hospitals | theledger.com Here is another sad example of the need for lean methods for quality improvement in healthcare. The story here is about a pregnant woman who died after being…
Thoughts from a Toyota Tour
I received this email and I’m publishing it here with the permission of the anonymous author: In May, the TMMI Toyota Plant in Princeton, IN held an open house for family and friends of employees to come in and tour…
Upcoming Interview: Buying American
If you read the post below and the article from PC Magazine, you might have seen this quote: “The thing with computers and electronics is that people have the feeling that it’s basically impossible to buy things that were made…
Update on the SME/AME/Shingo Lean Certification
I got an update today from the people who are coordinating the joint standardized Lean Certification Program. This is being developed by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and the Shingo Prize group (who…
U.S. and Mexico Manufacturing Wages
Interesting statistic in the local paper, courtesy of the “Harper’s Index.” 6:1 average manufacturing wage in the U.S. to that in Mexico before NAFTA took effect in 1994 8:1 ratio today I thought the conventional wisdom at the time was…
Karma counts for top dog Toyota
Business – theage.com.au Are you sick of reading about Toyota’s success? I’m not. This reporter does a pretty good job of capturing the main points of the Toyota Production System. “… if they [visitors to the factory] are looking for…
Examples of Waste in Healthcare
So I’m trying to find a dermatologist to schedule an appoint (no it’s nothing serious). What amazes me is that all of the dermatologists in a reasonable driving distance have no open appointments until September or October. Talk about the…